# Sync to google drive = multiple duplicate folders

**URL:** <https://forum.rclone.org/t/sync-to-google-drive-multiple-duplicate-folders/32798>\
**Category:** Help and Support\
**Created:** [September 2, 2022, 12:07pm UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/sync-to-google-drive-multiple-duplicate-folders/32798 "2022-09-02T12:07:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![stjohnsmythe](https://forum.rclone.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@stjohnsmythe](https://forum.rclone.org/u/stjohnsmythe)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 12:07pm UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/sync-to-google-drive-multiple-duplicate-folders/32798/1 "2022-09-02T12:07:10Z")

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I've followed a few online guides on how to use rclone to backup a local folder to google drive. This works however subsequent backups instead of overwriting the destination directory on gdrive it instead creates another backup with the same folder name.

`rclone sync --verbose ~/Backup/ gdrive:backup`

which if ran 3 times results in:

gdrive:  
/backup  
/backup  
/backup

Not really sure where i'm going wrong, none of the guides mention this. I've tried using the rclone copy cmd with the same results.

rclone v1.59.1

- os/version: arch "rolling" (64 bit)
- os/kernel: 5.19.5-arch1-1 (x86\_64)
- os/type: linux
- os/arch: amd64
- go/version: go1.19
- go/linking: dynamic
- go/tags: none

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**Author:** ![asdffdsa](https://forum.rclone.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@asdffdsa](https://forum.rclone.org/u/asdffdsa)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 1:04pm UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/sync-to-google-drive-multiple-duplicate-folders/32798/2 "2022-09-02T13:04:16Z")

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hello and welcome to the forum,

please post the redacted config file.

is the remote using a gdrive shared folder?

the issue of duplicate folders has been discused in the forum a number of times and there is a github issue.  
[https://forum.rclone.org/t/how-to-prevent-creating-duplicate-folders-in-google-drive-with-server-side-transfer/7278/3](https://forum.rclone.org/t/how-to-prevent-creating-duplicate-folders-in-google-drive-with-server-side-transfer/7278/3)

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**Author:** ![stjohnsmythe](https://forum.rclone.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@stjohnsmythe](https://forum.rclone.org/u/stjohnsmythe)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 6:38pm UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/sync-to-google-drive-multiple-duplicate-folders/32798/3 "2022-09-02T18:38:43Z")

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Thanks for the reply. Redacted config below. It's not a shared gdrive shared folder and was created by rclone.

[gdrive]  
type = drive  
scope = drive.file  
token = {"access\_token":"..."}  
team\_drive =

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**Author:** ![asdffdsa](https://forum.rclone.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@asdffdsa](https://forum.rclone.org/u/asdffdsa)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 6:42pm UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/sync-to-google-drive-multiple-duplicate-folders/32798/4 "2022-09-02T18:42:22Z")

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ok.

i do not use gdrive much, not sure what the exact issue is.  
tho i kinda, sorta, remember this issue being discussed in the forum.

fwiw, i would try to create a very simple example using debug output with `-vv` or `--verbose`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![stjohnsmythe](https://forum.rclone.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@stjohnsmythe](https://forum.rclone.org/u/stjohnsmythe)\
**Post date:** [September 2, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/sync-to-google-drive-multiple-duplicate-folders/32798/5 "2022-09-02T19:08:52Z")

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Thanks again for the reply. I was using --verbose, wasn't particularity enlightening tbh, just looked like a fresh sync was being done each time, no mention of an existing directory on gdrive.

Anyway I started trying a few things and decided to try syncing to a destination directory another level deep rather than at the gdrive root, so instead of `/backup` on gdrive as the destination I tried `/backup/rclone` and guess what, it now works as expected and no duplicate directories are created!

Looks like this could be a rclone bug? Anyway fingers crossed it's now sorted and thanks again for taking the time to help me out.

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**Author:** ![system](https://forum.rclone.org/uploads/default/original/2X/3/39ad3235f6ffec76ccd0c81616bd55697b4c300d.png) [@system](https://forum.rclone.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2022, 7:09pm UTC](https://forum.rclone.org/t/sync-to-google-drive-multiple-duplicate-folders/32798/6 "2022-10-02T19:09:32Z")

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Closed on October 2, 2022, 7:09pm UTC

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